Karma reasons for concrete message

Message

I've been watching the coverage on TV, and of course, my heart breaks for the families and the community. My daughter is in first grade. The same grade that the murdered children were in. It makes me crazy to think about. I understand the insanity that the people who knew and loved these dead children are facing.

It appears to be a particularly religious community. Over and over again I hear residents calling for prayers. And being thankful for prayers.

I ask this question genuinely.

What are these prayers for?

Are people praying that their god will welcome these dead, innocent children into heaven? The same god who either knew, at the beginning of time, that these kids would die in first grade, or the god who gave this tortured, crazy man the free will to kill these children? Or both?

Are people praying that god will diminish the families' pain? And if so, aren't they mad that this god caused (or allowed) that pain? And do those offering prayers think that god will respond or change his plans because of the abundant prayers?

I understand desire to support these families during this horrible time. And I also understand the desire of this devastated community to ask for the support of the rest of the humanity. They don't need food or clothes or tangible things. But they want support. I understand that.

But I genuinely don't understand what the people who are praying are praying for. And I genuinely don't understand what those who are asking for prayers are hoping the outcome of those prayers will be.